Wise Woman Ezine with herbalist Susun Weed
July 2009
Volume 9 Number 7
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What's Inside Wise Woman Herbal Ezine this Month...

INDEX | HEALING WISE | WISDOMKEEPERS | EMPOWER YOURSELF | WISE WOMAN WISDOM
COOKING for LOVE | GODDESS SPEAKS| GRANDMOTHER GAIA | FEATURED LINKS

Breast Health ...
Herbal Oil Infusion
Making Infused Oils
by Susun Weed


Herbal Oil Infusion
Making Infused Oils

Excerpt from: Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way
by Susun S. Weed

 

Making Infused Oils

° Pick the plant on a dry, sunny day.

° Discard any diseased or soiled parts. Do not wash any part of the plant. the Art of Roslyne Sophia BreillatIf there is dirt on the plant, scrub it off with a stiff, dry brush.

° Chop the plant coarsely.

° Completely fill a clean, very dry jar with the chopped herb.

° Slowly pour oil into the jar, poking with a chopstick or knife to release air and make sure the oil penetrates into all layers of the herb.

° add enough oil to thoroughly cover all the plant material and fill the jar to the very rim. (As with preparing a tincture, it is really possible to fill that jar twice: once with herb and then again with the vehicle.)

° Cork the jar or screw on a lid.

° Label the jar with he name of the plant, the plant part used, the kind of oil used, and the date. Example: St. Joan's Wort, leaf and flower, olive oil, 21 June 1985.

° Keep the jar of infused oil at normal room temperature and on a surface that will not be ruined by seeping oil.

° Decant the infused oil in six weeks. The plants can be left in the oil longer, but have a tendency to mold and spoil if not kept very cool.

° Oil held in the plant material after the decanting can be extracted. Put small handfuls into a clean kitchen towel or cotton cloth; squeeze and wring out the oil.

° Allow the decanted oil to sit for several days while the water in it (from the fresh plant material) settles to the bottom of the jar. Then carefully siphon or pour off the oil, leaving the water behind.

° Store at cool room temperature or refrigerate.

 

Trouble Shooting Infused Oils

Mold grows readily in infused oils. the presence of any moisture on the herb or in the jar encourages mold growth.

° If the jar is not filled to the top, mold will grow in the air space left. To save your preparation, completely remove the mold and fill the jar to the top with fresh oil.

° If the jar was not totally dry when you filled it, mold will grow along the inside of the jar. Save your preparation by carefully pouring the oil and the plant material into a dry jar. Jars dried in the oven for five minutes immediately prior to use prevent this problem.

° If the jar is put in the sun or left near a heat source, the warmth will cause condensation inside the jar, providing the moisture necessary for colonies of mold. Remove the mold and pour oil and plant material into a fresh jar to save this.

° If the plant material was wet when combined with the oil, mold will grow throughout the oil. Saving it is impossible. Start again.

Some herbs release gas as they infuse. You may notice bubbles moving in the oil; this is not a problem and does not indicate spoilage. Chickweed, Comfrey, and Yellow Dock are notable in their gas production when infused in oil. The gas will force some of the oil out of the jar (yes, even if tightly capped). Corked jars go pop! Rancidity occurs when there is plenty of heat and oxygen.

Infused oils in an olive oil base resist rancidity at cool room temperature for several years. In very warm climates, adding the contents of a capsule or two of vitamin E to the decanted oil helps prevent rancidity. Tincture of Myrrh or Benzoin added to ointments also checks rancidity; use about ten drops of either per ounce of oil.

Excerpt from: Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way
by Susun S. Weed

 


Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
The Wise Woman Way

by Susun S. Weed
Foreword by Christiane Northrup, MD
380 pages, index, profusely illustrated.
Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen.
Retails for $21.95

Read a Review

Read some excerpts:
Mammograms - Who Needs Them? from Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
Using Herbs Safely from Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
My Anti-Cancer Lifestyle from Breast Cancer? Breast Health!

Order BREAST CANCER? BREAST HEALTH! in our Bookshop

What a gift to women of all ages! This book helped me overcome my fear of what I might discover during self-examination. I am so grateful that this book came my way and I am healthier in mind, body, and spirit thanks to Ms. Weed's wise words! If I could, I would give a copy of this book to every woman in the world!

 

 

The Grandmother of Time
A Woman's Book of Celebrations, Spells, and Sacred Objects for Every Month of the Year
The Grandmother of Time by Z Budapest
In The Grandmother of Time, Zsuzsanna Budapest teaches both beginners and experienced practioners how to intergrate wiccan spirtuality into their everyday lives. Here are new approaches to today's rituals, from birthdays and dedications of newborn babies to purifying our homes and protecting us in travel.

Price: $18.95

 

 

order The Grandmother of Time in our Bookshop

 


 
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INDEX | HEALING WISE | WISDOMKEEPERS | EMPOWER YOURSELF | WISE WOMAN WISDOM
COOKING for LOVE | GODDESS SPEAKS| GRANDMOTHER GAIA | FEATURED LINKS